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We have a ProHeat (similar type unit) and installed ours in the center bay, driver's side along with the expansion tank. The engine heat exchanger is mounted if the front bay (tied into engine coolant at the former OEM heater core connection) and we have a heater core in the rear bay with the water tanks. This provides a t least a little heat in all three bays. I have also seen Webastos installed in the engine compartment. Jack

Hey there Ross - Great question. I'm about to embark on this project as well, and think I can get the heating unit fairly inexpensive. But I've got a lot to learn on this. What model are you using for the heating unit? Do you know the dimensions?

Mine is in the centre bay, previous owner put it there, I'm not convinced it will stay there.

I operate in sub-zero as a design standard.

The coolant furnace needs airflow for intake and exhaust, which is less than compatible with keeping a bay warm...And it takes up a fair bit of precious bay volume.... The stray heat off the Webasto won't defend against the opening for air intake when it gets that far below freezing.

Engine room mounting and suitably wrapped with some insulation for more economical colder climate operation is one direction I am leaning. Then a fairly simple loop of the hot coolant line into each bay space, a bit of radiant finned pipe, with a straight through bypass for warmer weather, will ward off the freeze up.

Either that or it gets to live in closely with the generator somewhere....wherever that might end up... silence is another high priority design goal...

The original poster of this thread was "Alltech" who signed his post "Ross". It then looks like Phil jumped in and edited Ross' post for some reason and then referred to him as "Airbag", (which would be Rick). Am I the only one confused here? Who's on first?

Mine is a Caylor conversion and the Webasto is located curb side in the engine compartment. Fits nicely, allowing for maintenance for starter, and other things. I believe they did the no- no of tapping the engine fuel line, but no problems of my 4 years service. Mine is a 35 footer, but the loop is thru the cabin & heater thru the bays. Only problem encountered was the 12V feed wires had suffered a partial ground between the two wires, (Due to the PO engine overheating I believe) I found this as my four 8D house batts were bleeding down, lifted the wires at the Webasto and still had current. Did a search hand over fist, and got to a spot in the harness that did not "feel" right and opened up the jacket & 10" up I found the insulation slightly melted. No blown fuse, so me thinks it was ambient heat?? Corrected now.

My PO also installed "storm doors" carpet covered plywood fitted doors with latched for inside each bay door. As BW, my PO did alot of sub zero operations and this was helpful.

Good Luck

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Experience is something you get Just after you needed it....Ocean City, NJ

Thanks for all the replies, I notice I had spelled Webasto wrong in my flurry of typing and that is probably the reason for the edit.

Buswarrior you make a good point about air intake and exhaust, and for that reason it maybe mire suited to the engine compartment.the engine taps for the engine preheat seem to be on the drivers side of the engine and it looks like there is a lot of room behind the drivers side taillight above the muffler. The only other spot I can see is passanger side where the holding tanks use to be.

I think I have read on one of the posts here that it is good to keep your surge tank the highest point in your circulation loop to help work the air out of the system, if that is the case the only spot in the engine compartment to mount this would be in the same spot the sewage tank for the rest room was mounted.

Phil, I am installing a Webasto DBW 2020 it is 80,000 BTU but I intend on using the conversion to take the family skiing in the winter.I have spoke to a couple experts and they said I would need to run individual loops for every heater to keep the webasto from short circulating.

The dimensions for the heater are:length (26-23/32”)width (9-1/2”)height (10-29/32”)

Thanks for the info and dimensions Ross. What is the length of your coach? The misspell on Webasto was indeed the reason for the edit. Yes, I did mix things up a bit by misreading the names. I keep telling my wife that i don't need reading glasses. Dont' knwo what she's whees talkinbg about, I can see as clearlyt as wehn I was 20!! Thanks for sticking with me felolow busnuts!!